MHG3011 - South ring cairn, Balnuaran of Clava
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- (Former Type) HUT CIRCLE (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- RING CAIRN (Late Bronze Age - 1250 BC to 551 BC) + Sci.Date
Protected Status
Full Description
NH74SE 11 7585 4441.
(NH 7585 4441) Hut Circle (NR)
OS 25"map, (1965)
This oval stone-walled hut, on the edge of a modern field, measures c. 13.0m ESE-WNW by c. 11.5m between the centres of a wall spread to c. 3.0m all round. Details of the hut are obscured by later stone clearance and no entrance can be seen, although Jolly noted "the usual opening to the SSE".
Surveyed at 1:2500.
W Jolly 1882; Visited by OS (W D J) 25 April 1962 and (N K B) 15 April 1970.
A circular earthwork SE of the guardianship enclosure, which is currently recorded as a 'hut circle', was examined by small- scale excavation and proved to be the remains of a ring-cairn. Four of the outer kerb stones still survived, together with a broad bank of rubble. It seems likely that the monument was constructed in two phases. The first involved the construction of the cairn from surface boulders. In a later phase the interior was excavated and soil was piled against the outer kerb of the monument. This material included a small amount of cremated bone and contained a number of sandstone slabs - a feature which was also recognised in the ring-cairn within the guardianship enclosure. Samples were taken for radiocarbon dating.
Sponsors: Historic Scotland and Reading University with assistance from Highland Archaeology Service.
R Bradley 1996
Radiocarbon dates were obtained as part of the archaeological investigations by Bradley, and were published in his 2000 publication. These dates indicate that this small ring cairn is of Late Bronze Age date, at which time the SW passage grave (MHG3002) was also resused. <1>
Sources/Archives (4)
- --- SHG1317 Text/Publication/Article: Jolly, W. 1882. On cup-marked stones in the neighbourhood of Inverness; with an appendix on cup-marked stones in the Western Islands. Proc Soc Antiq Scot Volume 16. 300-401. 302.
- --- SHG257 Text/Publication/Article: Bradley, R. 1996. 'Balnuaran of Clava (Croy and Dalcross parish), megalithic cemetery', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1996, p.60-61. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 60-61. 60-61.
- --- SHG2673 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1979. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of North-east Inverness, Inverness District, Highland Region. . 18, No. 115.
- <1> SHG23271 Text/Publication/Monograph: Bradley, R. et al. 2000. The Good Stones: a new investigation of the Clava Cairns. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Monograph Series. 17. Paper (Original) & Digital. pp 43-44, 60-63, 115-119.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7584 4441 (18m by 18m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH74SE |
| Civil Parish | CROY AND DALCROSS |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/14259 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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